Name: Brain Surgeon Salad
Ingredients: 1 package (6 oz) blueberry jello mix; 1 cup cottage cheese; cheese; 1 cup blueberry syrup (or 3/4 cup frozen blueberries, thawed); food coloring

Why it works: Cottage cheese and cheese match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 3% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 126 recipes. Both carry ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, which smells fruity, apple. The science ↓

Brain Surgeon Salad

Time4 hours

Ingredients

1 package (6 oz) blueberry jello mix
1 cup cottage cheese
cheese
1 cup blueberry syrup (or 3/4 cup frozen blueberries, thawed)
food coloring

Directions

Make the gelatin

Prepare jello mix by following package directions.
Chill and let it set for 4 hours or until firm.

Make the topping

Put cottage cheese in a bowl.
Add blueberry syrup to the cottage cheese and mix well.
Add three drops of food coloring to turn the mixture into a grayish color.

Serve

To serve, place firm gelatin on a plate and top with cottage cheese mixture.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

295Calories

19 gProtein

14 gFat

25 gCarbs

Counts 3 of 4 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 3 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Cheese	1 oz (28g) cheddar	113
Cottage Cheese	1/2 cup (113g) 2%	98
Blueberry	1 cup (148g)	84
Syrup	not in our table	0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Cottage cheese + cheesetop 3% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together126 recipes

Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
Blueberry + cottage cheesetop 18% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together11 recipes

Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
Blueberry + cheesetop 25% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together50 recipes

Shared aroma: 5-ethyl-3-hydroxy-4-methyl-2(5h)-furanone (spice).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Blueberry jello mix: Sets into the firm gelatin base that holds the topping.
Cottage cheese: Provides the creamy, mild body of the topping.
Blueberry syrup: Adds blueberry flavor and sweetness, and tints the cottage cheese.